Based on a Roleplay Preview
by luple
Summary: A story inspired by a great roleplay I had. Still a WIP, this is only a preview.


This is my mountain. It always has been. I'd been here ever since my mother had passed when I was 9 moons old. I'd been almost full grown then, and could hunt hare by myself. Still, I loved my mother and felt I still needed her. Then one day, she'd been cruelly ripped from me by the claws of fate.

I was a young cat with jet black fur and gray-green eyes, named Raven. My mother and I had been hunting hares when she spotted the carcass of an elk with the scent of bear all over it. Apparently, it had killed it, partially ate it then left it there. What a waste. My mother began eating it, and told me to do so too. I'd never tasted elk before, but it tasted very good on an empty stomach especially. All of a sudden, I smelled a rotten stench, like a fox's but not quite. Before I could turn around, a sharp pain erupted from my tail as something sharp bit into it! I yowled, as whatever it was began dragging me away! I dug my claws into the rocky soil and yowled again. My mother, however, had begun clawing the thing and I heard it yelp in surprise and it let go.

I was finally able to turn around, and saw my mother battling a brownish-gray coyote. Blood dripped from a scratch on its nose and she was now latched onto its front leg with her teeth. I stood there, paralyzed with fear. I wish I'd done something. Why didn't I? I might still have her… What happened next is a blur to me. This is all I remember. Two other coyotes jumped onto my mother, and in a flurry of claws and teeth, my mother lay on the ground in a puddle of her own blood. The coyotes abandoned her body after they killed her, leaving as they licked the blood from their muzzles. They had completely forgotten about the elk and I. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared down at the broken body of my mother. Crimson blood streaked her once beautiful tortoiseshell pelt, and her eyes were shut. "M-mother!" I squeaked like a kit, pressing my nose into her fur for one last smell of her scent. I knew she was dead, and growing cold quickly. I buried her underneath her favorite tree on the mountain, where I still feel her spirit when I visit.

I was now 18 moons old, long enough to explore the entire mountain and learn that just below it, many cats lived below it. Together, it seemed. Their scents would sometimes come up the mountain, and it intrigued me. How could so many cats live and support each other like that? How did they keep order amongst themselves? They must have a proud ruler that kept order. So many unanswered questions that I had.

One day, as I had just killed a hare and settled down to eat it when the smells of these other cats was much stronger, and accompanied by a new smell: fresh blood. I was curious. So, I buried my hare and started down the mountain towards the stench of the blood. As I got closer I could here the yowling of cats and the blood scent got stronger. I finally came upon a frightening scene. A seemingly uncountable amount of cats were hissing and clawing at each other. Were these the wild cats I had smelled on the mountain? Perhaps I was wrong about the order amongst them! The battle seemed to go on forever, leaving many cats lying unmoving on the ground like my mother had been. A large battered tom finally called out. "Retreat, Shadowclan!" At that moment, about half the cats broke away from battle. The other half stayed hissing, watching them flee. Some carried dead cats out with them as they fled. Some of the cat's hisses turned to yowls of victory. One particularly strong looking she-cat stood quietly amongst them, watching in silent dignity with her intense blue gaze.

I had now noticed a light silver she-cat running from one injured cat to another cat, pressing cobwebs to their injuries then rubbing some kind of poultice into their wounds. She was beautiful. I hardly noticed when the cat who had been watching the others flee scented the air and turned her icy blue gaze on me. "A loner!" she exclaimed, and instantly began growling again and lashing her tail at me. I saw her claws un-sheath and flash in the waning sunlight. "What are you doing on Thunderclan territory?" she hissed. Another she-cat, with a dark gray pelt with a milk scent on her, turned towards me with her teeth bared and ears flat against her head. The light silver she-cat I had seen treating the other cats looked on with a worried expression. Before I had a chance to explain myself, the dark gray she-cat lunged for me, scratching my side. I was unprepared for a fight, but it looked like I had one now. Another blow knocked me over, and the dark gray she-cat landed on top of me, clawing my stomach in the process. She bit my shoulder hard, blood welling up around her jaws. Meanwhile, I was flailing, my back claws scratching her belly as I performed a belly rake. She winced in pain, but only tightened the clench on my shoulder.

The pain was excruciating. I felt as if I had no strength to fight, but then anger kicked in. I began clawing her with rage and she finally let go of my shoulder. "Echosong, help me!" she yowled, looking back to the light silver she-cat. So that was her name, Echosong! I thought, ignoring the sharp throbbing of my shoulder. She stared wide eyed, first to me, then to the dark gray she-cat. "Help me, Echosong!" the she-cat repeated, looking expectantly at her. Once again, her gaze shifted between cats before she finally ran over and clawed my flank hesitantly. It stung, her claws ripping into me, but not as badly as my shoulder. I looked directly at her with one eye shut with pain. "Why are you doing this?" I asked. It was the blue eyed one that answered. "You came onto our territory and stole prey, that's why." When did I steal prey? I only had watched the battle. Then I remembered that the scent of hare blood still clung to my pelt. The blood of the one I had killed in the mountains, not here. I opened my mouth to protest, but then the dark gray she cat put her teeth around my neck and bit down. I yowled, my entire body now racked with pain. My life was over…my life was-

"Stop!" a voice cried out. I couldn't open my eyes right now, but I felt the death grip on my neck release. Finally, I opened my eyes a crack. Echosong was staring defiantly at the blue eyed cat. "S-so you're g-going to kill a cat for n-no good r-reason?" I managed to choke out. The cat set her icy blue gaze on me, then on the dark gray she cat who still had a paw on me, holding me down. "Enough, Windsong." She said. "But, Snowystar…" she said, trailing off. The gaze of Snowystar made Windsong stop. She spat, then slowly lifted her paw from my chest. Her ears were still pinned against her head in defiance. "You may leave, but if we ever catch you here again, we will not resist." Snowystar said. "Then I will leave…" I meowed weakly.

I turned around, limping slowly away from them. "And don't come back, fox dung!" I heard Windsong hiss as I left. I felt their gazes on me as I slowly disappeared from their view, going painfully up the mountain. "Savages." I muttered as my agonizing procession continued.


End file.
